Populations living in arid environments, such as deserts and drought-stricken areas, must rely on importation for their fresh water supply. This importation can be costly and, in some instances, economically impossible to obtain. In areas where a salt water source is nearby, desalination equipment is sometimes employed to provide potable water to the inhabitants. However, some societies are too poor to purchase and maintain the equipment and bear the associated fuel requirements. An economical desalination system that is capable of using natural resources, such as solar energy, to produce potable water from salt water is described in my previous patent, U.S. Pat. No. 5,282,979.